Automatic water-pressure and fuel control.



c. E. & I. JIBISHOP.

AUTOMATIC WATER PRESSURE AND FUEL GONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1913.

1,082,728. Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

N '7 m U; M) N m U a m a w l N g b L III WITNESSES: IN VENTORS Byg/m/ '32 A TTORNE YS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., \VASHIN c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL E. BISEO]? AND IRA J. BISHOP, OF MITCHELLVILLE, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC WATER-PRESSURE AND FUEL CONTROL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CARL E. BIsHoP and IRA J. BISHOP, citizens of the United States, residing at Mitchellville, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Automatic ater-Pressure and Fuel Control, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide an automatic water pressure and fuel control, whereby the amount of fuel fed into a boiler in a steam engine and the amount of fuel fed to a burner for heating the boiler, may be automatically controlled and regulated with relation to each other by the pressure of the steam in the boiler.

More particularly it is our object to provide in a steam engine, a device of the kind mentioned, having the fuel and water feed pipes with valves normally held closed, and provided with means whereby they may be manually opened to permit water to be fed to the boiler and fuel to the burner.

A further object is to provide such a device provided with mechanism whereby, when the pressure of the steam in the boiler reaches a certain predetermined point, the supply of fuel and water will be decreased, and whereby the fuel and water supply is automatically stopped when the pressure is maximum.

It is a further object of our invention, in such a device, to provide a pump and tank and means whereby the automatic controlling mechanism permits circulation through the tank and pump only when the steam is at a high pressure or very low and permits circulation from the tank and pump into the boiler when the pressure in the boiler is within certain limits.

Our invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of our device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a side elevation of portions of a steam engine equipped with an automatic fuel pressure and water control, embodying our invention. Fig. 2 shows a vertical, sectional view of the pump. Fig. 3 shows a vertical, central, sectional view of the cylinder and piston of the automatic controlling device and Fig. 4 shows a sec-- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 15, 1913.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913. Serial No. 761,364.

tional, detail view of the valve adjacent to the water tank.

In the accompanyingdrawings we have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a boiler of a steam engine, mounted on suitable supports 11 and containing a plurality of water coils 12. Mounted on a suitable support, is a fuel tank 13 of suitable construction, communicating with which is a pipe 14 which leads to a burner 15 below the boiler. lVe provide a water tank 16 which communicates by means of a tube 17 with a pump 18.

One of the engine cylinders is indicated by the reference numeral 19. The piston, not shown, is connected with the piston rod 20, which in turn is operatively connected with a cross head 21. The piston rod 22 of the pump is pivoted to the inner end of a lever arm 23, the other end of which is pivotally and slidably mounted on the cross head 21. The lever arm 23 is centrally pivoted on the frame of the engine, at 24. The cross head 21 operates a pitman 25 which is operatively connected with a crank 26 on a shaft 27. Adjacent to the lower portion of one side of the boiler 10, is a box or receptacle 28 which communicates with the coils 12. Communicatin with the boX 28 is a tube leading to one end of a cylinder 30. 85 In the cylinder 30 is a piston 31. In the end of said cylinder, opposite the pipe 29 is a screw plug 32 through which is slidably extended the piston stem or rod 31 Between the piston 31 and the screw plug 32 we mount on the rod 31 a powerful coil spring 33 of such strength that the pressure in the boiler can move the piston 32 to the outward limit of its movement only when such pressure has reached a predetermined point. A tube 34 leads from the pump 18 to the pipe 29. Communicating with the tube 34 and with the water tank 16, is a tube 35 in which is a cut-off valve 36, the operation of which will be hereinafter more fully described. In the tube 34, between the tube 35 and the pipe 29 are check-valves 37. In the tube 14, preferably near the burner 15, is a cut-off valve 38, which may be similar to the valve 36.

In the pump 18, is a valve 39 to prevent back flow through the tube 17 and in the tube 34 near the pump 18 is a check valve 40. The check valve 39 permits water to flow from the tank 16 into the pump tank 18 110 and prevents fio v in the opposite direction while the check-valve 40 permits flow from the pump 18 but prevents flow into it.

For operating the valves 38 and 36, we have provided the following means: Det-achably mounted on the outer end of the rod 31 by means of a pin 41, is one end of a lever arm 42 which is centrally fixed to the stem of the valve 36. The lever 42 is provided with an elongated slot in which the pin 41 is received. One end of a rod 43 is pivoted to the lever arm 42 near the pin 41. The other end of the rod 43 is pivoted to a lever arm 44 which is operatively connected with the stem of the valve 38. Pivoted to the upper end of the lever 42 is one end of a link 48 in the opposite end of which is an elongated slot 47. Pivoted on a' suitable support is a lever 48 having a downward extension 49 at an obtuse angle to the lever 48, pivotably mounted on the link 46 by means of a pin 50 which is slidably mounted in the slot 47. For yieldingly drawing the lever arm 48 toward one limit of its movement we have provided a contraotible coil spring 51 weaker than the spring 33, mounted on asuitable support and secured to the lever arm 48. Lugs 52 limit the movement of the lever arm 48 in both directions. The parts just described are so constructed and arranged that when the lever arm 48 is one position of its movement, is contracted the pin 50 is below the pivotal point of said lever and the tendency of the spring 33 is to force the extension 49 away from the boiler 10. \Vhen the lever is thrown away from the boiler 10 the link 46 is drawn upwardly past said pivotal point so that the pressure of the spring 33 holds the lever 48 in its position farthest away from the boiler 10.

In the practical operation of our improved automatic water pressure and fuel control the lever 48 is moved to its position shown by the solid lines in Fig. 1. The spring 33 holds the parts in the position they then assume. When the lever 48 is in the position mentioned the valve 38 is shut off or closed. When it is desired to operate the machine the lever 48 is thrown over to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The extension 49 is thereby raised above to a horizontal position and the spring 33 will hold the lever 48 in its position shown by the dotted lines. The valve 38 is thereby opened and the valve 36 remains closed. Assuming that there is water in the boiler, the burner 15 is lighted. Steam is conveyed from the boiler 10 to the cylinder 19 by ordinary means not shown and forming no part of this invention. As steam is generated by heat from the burner 15, the engine operates the piston 22 of the pump 18. The operation of the pump 18 draws water from the tank 16 through theptunp and forces it through the pipes 34 and 39 into the boiler 10. Attention has already been called to the fact that the valve 36 is normally held closed by the pressure of the spring 33 and hence the water forced through the pipe 34 by the pump 18, must pass into the boiler. The burner 15 is of suflicient size to turn all the water furnished by the pump into steam in a short time.

Vhen the spring 33 is contracted by the pressure in the boiler 10 as hereinafter more fully described, and the piston 32 is forced outwardly from said boiler, the contraction of the spring 33 moves the lever 42 till the link 46 and extension 49 are substantially in line. The spring 51 then forces the lever 48 from its last described position as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 to its normal position shown by the full lines in said figure. As the spring 33 is further contracted by the steam pressure, the slot 47 slides on the pin 50. As the spring 33 expands and moves the lever 42, the valve 38 for controlling the fuel supply is gradually moved toward closed position and the supply of fuel reduced. The purposes of the lever 48 and the mechanism immediately connected therewith is to set the valve 38 at its open position during the early stages of the generation of steam. As the pressure of the steam forces the piston 32 outwardly, the lever 48 is automatically returned to its normal position.

When the pressure in the boiler 10 has reached a certain predetermined point, the piston 31 will be forced toward its outward limit of movement. The lever 42 will thereby be moved and will move the valve 36 toward its open position as the valve 38 moves toward its closed position. The flow of fuel from the tank 13 to the burner 15 will be lessened or almost stopped, depending upon the amount of pressure in the boiler. The cylinder 30, and pipe 29 are designed to be filled with water. It is to be noted that there will be considerable pressure from the boiler, on the water in the box 28 and in the pipe 29, and also on water in the pipe 34, between the box 28 and the check-valves 37.

The circulation through the pump will pass through the valve 36 and the tank 16 and the supply of water to the boiler will be diminished or stopped. As soon as the pressure on the piston 32 is decreased, the spring 33 will move said piston toward its inward limit of movement and thereby open the valve 38 and increase the supply of fuel furnished to the burner and at the same time will move the valve 36 toward closed position, thereby causing the pump 18 to supply more water to the boiler. It will be noted that the tension of the spring33 may be regulated to a considerable extent by varying the distance which the plug 32 is screwed into the cylinder 30. If for any reason the pressure should go down the spring 33 will move the lever 42 and the link 4-3, close the valve 38 and open the valve 36.

The advantages of our improved automatic fuel pressure and water control are largely obvious from the foregoing description. The supply of fuel to the burner and the supply of water to the boiler is automatically controlled and determined. If the pressure goes down the fuel supply will first be increased and if the lack of pressure continues the flow of fuel will be wholly stopped. In this con ection it may be noted that a pilot light and generator may be used with the burner but they form no part of our present invention. By means of our construction, we effect a triple control, namely, of fuel feed, the water feed, and the pressure in the boiler. The use of Water in the receptacle 28 and the tubes 29 and 34: saves the piston 31 from contact with hot steam and prevents over heating the piston and cylinder.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that if the supply of water furnished to the boiler should be shut off for any cause and the pressure on the piston 32 entirely removed, the supply of fuel would be auto mat-ically shut off which would avoid over heating a dry boiler.

Our device is of simple and economic construction and requires comparatively little attention for its regulation.

e claim as our invention.

1. In a device of the class described, a boiler, pump, a water tank, means for carrying a circulation through said pump and tank, means for carrying water to said boiler from said first means, a burner, a fuel tank, a tube connecting said burner and fuel tank, means whereby when a certain pressure is reached in said boiler, the supply of fuel is cut off and the means for carrying circulation through the pump and water tank is opened, and means for normally holding said last named means in inoperative position.

9.. In a device of the class described, a boiler, a burner, a fuel supply pipe leading to said burner, a cut-off valve in said pipe, controlling mechanism for moving cut-off valve to open position, and means whereby a predetermined pressure in said boiler closes said valve, said last named means being designed to normally hold said cut-off valve in closed position.

3. In a device of the class described, a boiler, a burner, a fuel supply pipe leading to said burner, a cut-off valve in said pipe, controlling mechanism for moving cutoff valve to open position and holding it in said position, means whereby a predetermined pressure in said boiler closes said valve, said last named means being designed to normally hold said cut-off valve in closed position and to return said controlling mechanism to inoperative position.

4;. In a device of the class described, a boiler, a pump, a water tank, a tube leading from said tank to said pump, a valve therein, burner, a fuel tank, a second tube leading from said fuel tank to said burner, a cut-off valve in said second tube, a third tube leading from said pump to said boiler, a fourth tube leading from said third tube to said water tank, a second cut-off valve in said fourth tube, means whereby when a certain pressure is reached in said boiler, said first cut-off valve is operated to shut off the supply of fuel and said second cut-ofi' valve is operated to permit the flow of water through said fourth valve, and means for normally holding said last named means in inoperative position.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a boiler, a burner, a fuel tank, a tube connecting said fuel tank and burner, a cut-ofi' valve in said tube, a Water tank, a pump designed to be operatively connected with an engine, a second tube connecting said water tank and said pump, a valve in said second tube, a third tube leading from said pump to said boiler, a cylinder communicating with third tube below the point where same enters the boiler, a fourth tube connecting said third tube and said tank, a cut-off valve in said fourth tube, a check valve in said third tube between said pump and said fourth tube, a piston in said cylinder, a piston rod thereon extending outside the cylinder and slidably mounted in the end thereof, a coil spring mounted on said stem within the cylinder and tending to hold said piston at its inward limit of movement, and means whereby when a certain predetermined pressure has been reached in said boiler, the outward movement of said piston moves said first cut-off valve toward closed position and moves the said second cutoff valve toward open position, said means comprising a lever fixed to said piston rod and pivoted to the stem of said second cutoff valve, a rod mounted thereon and operatively connected with the first cut-off valve.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 21, 1918.

CARL E. BISHOP. IRA J. BISHOP. lVitnesses M. l VALLAOE, S. RoBrNsoN.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

